This invention generally relates to telecommunication systems that provide wireless communications for subscribers, and more specifically relates to over the air provisioning of a new or existing mobile terminal and wireless user as a subscriber.
A common way of provisioning a mobile terminal is by the new user visiting a service provider store for the desired wireless service. The service center can provide the user with a new mobile terminal that has been provisioned to access the service provider's network and for subscriber specific data or can reconfigure a compatible mobile terminal already owned by the user. The mobile terminal to be used by the new subscriber has to be registered with the service provider. Either the dealer provides information about the new user and the new mobile terminal to the service provider, or provides the user with instructions for calling the service provider to register as a new subscriber.
Another common way to provision new mobile terminal is using Over the Air Service Provisioning (OTASP). This involves the new subscriber initiating OTASP session from their terminal and providing their details in a voice conversation to the Customer Service Representative (CSR) followed by CSR performing OTASP using Short Message Service (SMS) based IS683 messaging.
FIG. 1 illustrates a known wireless telecommunication system in which a user desires to provision a new mobile terminal 10 for service. The system includes a base station 12 and a mobile switching center 14 coupled to the base station by communication links 16 and 18. A voice network 20, e.g. the public switched telephone network, is coupled with a mobile switching center 14 and a telephone 22 of a customer service representative of the wireless network. A workstation 24 is also utilized by the customer service representative in a work area 26 that also includes telephone 22. The workstation is utilized by the customer service representative to provide commands and data to various components associated with the telecommunication system. A billing center 28, authentication authorization and accounting (AAA) center 30, voicemail center 32, message center 34, and home location register 38 are elements that typically must be provisioned to support new users by the customer service representative using workstation 24. Over The Air Function (OTAF) 36 is used to send IS683 provisioning commands to the new mobile terminal. Elements 36 and 38 are coupled by communication channels 40 and 42, respectively, to the mobile switching center 14. Elements 36 and 38 are coupled by communication channel 43.
A typical process of initially provisioning a new mobile terminal 10 for service begins with the user causing mobile terminal 10 to establish communications with base station 12. The user has been provided with instructions to then press a series of buttons. These series of buttons cause a predetermined dialed number sequence recognized by the mobile switching center 14 as representing a request to provision a mobile terminal. Normally, a request for access to the service provider's network from an unregistered mobile terminal would be denied. Since the mobile switching center 14 recognized receipt of the special predetermined number, it initiates a voice communication link by voice network 20 to customer service representative telephone 22. The customer service representative engages in a voice conversation with the user of mobile terminal 10 and obtains needed information from the user in order to provision network services. The needed information may include the user's name, mailing address, billing information and billing address, requested telephone number (if any), service options elected, etc. At the conclusion of the voice call the user is advised by the customer service representative how long it will take before the user will become a registered subscriber in the system so that wireless telecommunications services can be accessed. The customer service representative, using workstation 24, provides the appropriate commands and data to network elements 28, 30, 32, 34, and 38 to cause the new user to become a registered subscriber. The customer service representative, using workstation 24, provides the appropriate commands and data to network element 36 to cause the mobile terminal 10 to be provisioned with the necessary data to function properly. The interfaces 40, 42, 43 and 44 are known, i.e. based on standards. Network elements 28, 30, 32, 34, 36, and 38 may be made by a variety of different companies and use a variety of communication protocols that must be supported by the workstation 24 to access and communicate with each. Thus, each of the network elements that require provisioning may have to be separately provisioned due to the lack of a common standard controlling the provisioning of these elements.
In general, the initial provisioning of a new subscriber by using a voice call between the subscriber and customer service representative of the service provider has been effective. This is not an efficient process from the service provider's perspective since it requires the use of a voice channel and the availability of a customer service representative. From the perspective of a subscriber who is primarily seeking wireless voice communications, the process is effective. However, for a subscriber who is primarily or only interested in data services, the requirement to establish a voice call with the customer service representative is an undesired burden, especially when the subscriber will be using a data-only mobile terminal that is not capable of voice. This is especially troublesome for a new subscriber for data-only wireless services, such as a subscriber desiring to utilize a wireless data card with his personal digital assistant or a laptop computer. Thus, there exists a need for an improved process and corresponding infrastructure to minimize these disadvantages and automate the over the air provisioning of wireless users.